Aircraft today typically include a fuselage, a pair of wings each extending laterally from the fuselage, and trailing edge devices, or “flaps”, coupled to the wings. Generally, flaps carried by a wing are movable relative to the wing between a stowed position and a deployed position. In most aircraft, the flaps are coupled to the wing with a device mounted to wing structure. The mechanisms that are used to couple the flaps to the wing are many and of various structural configurations. Most include attachment elements connected to the flaps at attachment connection points that permit movement of the flaps in a multitude of vertical and horizontal motions as well as a combination of such motions. Historically, under certain abnormal conditions or circumstances, the attachment elements and the attachment connection points could break or otherwise not function properly. Present day systems generally do not include malfunction indicators that are triggered only when there is an improper functioning of one attachment element, or when one connection point requires replacement of the affected flap part.
Further, improper functioning of forward or aft attachment fittings on flap attachment carriages are not obvious to an observer on a walk around inspection.
It would therefore be highly desirable to have an apparatus for detecting malfunctions of flap connection elements or flap connection points that would not only detect such a malfunction, but also visually show to an inspector on the ground the malfunction of one or both attachment elements or one or both connection points.
Further it would be highly desirable to have a method for determining that one or more connection points between a flap structure and an aircraft wing was not functioning properly, and then providing an indication, to an inspector performing a walk-around inspection of aircraft flap and wing assemblies, of such malfunction.